


Sweet Surprises

by Leif Writes (FrankensteinsMomster)



Category: Prodigal Son (TV 2019)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Gen, Gil is a good dad, Gil needs a hug, Light Angst, Malcolm Bright has a sweet tooth, Malcolm loves his team
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-11
Updated: 2020-01-11
Packaged: 2021-02-22 10:36:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,128
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22214767
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FrankensteinsMomster/pseuds/Leif%20Writes
Summary: After a tough case, Gill takes Malcolm somewhere to cheer him up.
Relationships: Gil Arroyo & Malcolm Bright, Gil Arroyo/Jackie Arroyo, Malcolm Bright & Ainsley Whitly
Comments: 6
Kudos: 75





	Sweet Surprises

He sat on his couch, groggy and listless, holding his head in his hands. The team’s last case did not go well and he couldn't help but think about all the things he could have done differently. A knock at his door snapped him out of his ruminating. 

It wouldn't be his mother or Ainsley, they would have come right in. Boundaries were not their strong suit. He wasn't expecting any visitors. He really needed to get his buzzer fixed. He stood in front of the door wondering if he should open it or just go back to his wallowing. 

"Bright, I can see your shadow from under the door, open up," Gil's voice called out. He sighed and unlatched the lock. 

"Come on, get dressed, we're going out." Something he appreciated about Gil was that he didn't coddle him, didn't treat him like he was fragile. Sometimes though he hated it. 

"I haven't slept in over twenty-four hours, I really don't-"

"If you can look me in the eyes and tell me that you're actually going to sleep I'll leave right now." Malcolm looked at him, mustering his most convincing look before letting out an exaggerated sigh. 

"Fine, just give me five minutes."

…

He stared out the window not paying attention to where his friend was driving them. Gil hadn't explained where they were going nor did he ask. He didn't particularly care. Gil did this sometimes. Picked him up unexpectedly and took him to places he thought would cheer him up. Sometimes it helped. Most of the time it was just a momentary distraction. 

"Remember when you and Ainsley were kids and we used to go to that old fashioned candy and soda shop?" He remembered gorging himself on candy. Ainsley giggling and running through the rows of what felt like endless jars of different colorfully wrapped taffy. Jackie taking them to the park after so they could burn off some energy before dropping them back off at home. 

"Yeah, it closed when I was fifteen or sixteen. I've never been able to find another like it." Gil smiled at him and parked the car. "I remember it closing," Malcolm added while quickly unbuckling his seatbelt and jumping out. "The owner died didn't he?" Gil said nothing still, just slowly strolling down the sidewalk leading the way. 

They turned a corner and there it stood. It was exactly as he remembered. A two-story, red brick building with a pastel sign in swirly letters. Sweet Surprises! Lollys, chocolates, taffy and more! A bouncing Ainsley waiting by the front door waved at them. 

"Can you believe it!" She called to him, "Come on hurry up!" Malcolm looked back at Gil. 

"How did you- how is this happening?"

"I didn't do anything but read the paper. Apparently, the original owner never sold the property but his kids didn't want to run the place so when his grandkids were old enough they decided to open up shop again. Now come on, Ainsley looks like she's gonna burst it we don't walk any faster" they half walked, half jogged the last half a block. Ainsley squealed before pushing the door open. 

Malcolm was hit with a wave of nostalgia. Well, not nostalgia he realized. This was real, this was happening. He was going to be able to experience the joy of exploring the shelves all over again now as an adult. He couldn't help but smile. The overwhelming smell of sugar hit him and made his mouth water. 

It was no secret that he had a sweet tooth. Growing up neither of his parents had allowed him access to much candy. It was the forbidden fruit and because of this he and his sister cherished it more than most could understand. It wasn't until Gil and subsequently, Jakie entered his life that he really experienced this piece of childhood. 

The shop was packed with people both young and old. A taffy puller worked in the corner. A soda jerk dressed in traditional clothes filled orders. The shop somehow wasn't any smaller than he remembered. It was just as packed with sweets as he remembered.

He filled one bag quickly and took another to start on when he thought of the team and took a few more bags. Cherry dum-dums for Edrissa, she would appreciate the gesture. Salted caramels for J.T., he kept them in his desk at work. Chocolate covered gummy bears for Danni, he caught her eating them by the handful on a late-night stakeout once. 

He found Ainsley on the second floor in front of a display of carefully balanced boxes of bonbons. Her arms just as full as his although he was fairly certain it was all for herself. 

"How's Gil doing?" She asked carefully

"Um. Fine?" He replied, raising an eyebrow at her. She rolled her eyes at him. 

"Oh my god Malcolm, how are you so smart and so dumb at the same time," she shook her head, "this is the place he took Jackie on their first date." 

He didn't know how he had forgotten. Too wrapped up in his own thoughts and memories. Every time they came, while he and Ainsley ran amuck, Gil and Jackie sat together sharing a chocolate shake. Once they had satisfied their sugar lust they would join them at the counter and Jackie would tell them the story of their first date. Ainsley would listen with wide eyes, giggling when she mentioned their first kiss. Malcolm would fake gag but honestly, their love was refreshing.

Even before his father had been arrested he couldn't remember a time where his parents so openly showed their love for each other. He didn't know if they ever had. The only reason he had even the slightest sliver of hope that he would meet someone one day was because of them. 

Ainsley went back to her browsing and Malcolm returned to the first floor knowing where he would find his friend. He sat on a barstool at the soda counter just like he always had before. A chocolate shake sat in front of him, untouched. He sat beside him. 

He didn't know what to say. Gil was one of the strongest people he had ever known. He caught the attention of the man behind the counter and paid for his things before ordering a shake of his own. People laughed and children stared with wide eyes at the magic the shop around them seemed to shine with. The shake was placed in front of him. He took it and clicked it against Gil's cup breaking the man’s far off look. He looked at Malcolm with a sad smile. 

"To Jackie," Malcolm raised his glass. 

"To Jackie," he replied, taking his first sip.


End file.
